Kiss of the Vampire
by PurpleSailorSaturn7
Summary: Fanfic to "Year of the Griffin" by Diana Wynne Jones. Liza gets a job teaching at the University, and runs into Corkoran. When memories start to haunt her, Liza must escape... but soon she finds out something that brings her closer to Corkoran.


I own Liza and Althea. Anyone else that isn't Diana Wynne Jones' is probably mine.  
  
Kiss of the Vampire  
By: PurpleSailorSaturn7  
  
Chapter 1: History Class  
  
A shower of black rose petals began to fall endlessly in a ring of light. Elda squrimed excitedly.   
  
In the ring stood a quite young woman, dressed in a black cloak, her sapphire eyes glittering malaciously. Her name was Liza, and she was a wizard.  
  
"So," she said, looking at them all. "So." Her students shuffled around uneasily, and she smiled slightly. She rarely smiled. "You would be my first years?"  
  
"Yes." A girl with wet-looking hair sqeaked. Liza checked her seating chart; the girl was Claudia.  
  
Unable to remain silent any longer, Elda spoke up. "Will we learn to do that this year?"  
  
Liza smiled. Two. That was a record. "No, I'm afraid not." She sighed, digging her black nails into her pocket, pulling a peice of paper out. "Welcome to History, students." She glanced around and made sure they were all paying attention. They all moved around nervously at her stare, but remained in eye contact. It was something about vampires that always kept the attention of a class. "Here," she continued, "you will learn how it all began, and some of the problems it has caused. I am talking about magic, of course." She stopped, looking around. "That is, if you don't tune me out like my other students." Most of the class stared at her, dumbfounded. She took attendance, then gave them their first assignment. They were to write a three page report on themselves, which she figured should be an easy assignment.   
  
She seated herself on her stool, in front of a large wooden podium. A huge volume sat upon it, the edges dusty and worn. Leafing through it, she became immursed in the great Wizard's Revolution. Her students, busy writing, were now becoming fully aware of their teacher.  
  
Underneath her black cloak, she wore black wizard's robes, and her thick, shoulder-blade length black hair was wrapping around her pale face. Her fangs were visible as she thoughtfully sucked on a feather quill. No doubt she wasn't human.   
  
Liza glanced up and noticed their gazes. Surely they couldn't be done already?  
  
"Yes?" She asked one student, hoping against hope he wasn't having trouble. "What is it?"  
  
"Are you...?" He stopped, turning red.  
  
"Am I what?"   
  
"Are you a...?"  
  
She sighed and stood up. "Yes, I am a vampire." She frowned. This wasn't how she wanted to start off the year. But then, she wouldn't deny them the truth, either. She wasn't surprised to see the shocked look that came upon some of their faces. It wasn't surprising at all, really.   
  
"How do we know you won't bite us?" A girl asked, her voice high pitched and shaky.  
  
"You don't get on my bad side." Liza replied, amused with the girl's turning milk white. Almost whiter than Liza. She looked at her watch. It was time to send this class on it's way. "Time to go." She muttered. "Your papers are due Monday."  
  
"Hello, I just came to..." a voice from the doorway paused and Liza looked up. "Liza?"  
  
Liza peered into the face of Corkoran, a long-time flame of hers. Her voice seemed to catch, but he didn't notice.  
  
"Is it really you?" he asked, astounded. He hadn't expected this. This was amazing. He had not seen Liza since their last day at the University in their third year.  
  
"Yes, it is, Corkoran." Liza replied coolly. She refused to relive that day long ago, the one that haunted her in her sleep for all these years.   
  
"It is you. You haven't changed at all, Liza." He smiled, and she nearly smiled back. It hurt too much after all these years.  
  
"I have a lot to do today, if you don't mind." Liza lied, she really had nothing to do at all.  
  
"Would you mind having dinner with me later?" He didn't give up, no matter how much she tried. Finally, she gave in.  
  
"Fine," she muttered, turning back to her book. "I'll come find you around six." She shuddered at the thought of having to leave the comfort and safety of her classroom.   
  
"Okay then," he said, giving her a huge grin. "I'll see you then."  
  
"What did I do to diserve this?" She asked herself when he left. "I only came here to get away from myself for a while, and now this." She sighed and pulled her cloak more tightly around her. "Corkoran... why?" She gave an involuntary shudder.  
  
***A/N: It'll get better, I promise!!! Please reveiw!!!*** 


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